The cycling spring will be a Pogacar vs. Van der Poel showdown: "Just not interesting to watch anymore"

The classic cycling season kicks off on Saturday with Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. Analysts at NOS looked ahead to what this spring might bring. Among them was Niki Terpstra, who will frequently be heard as an analyst during the cobbled classics. His prediction? The biggest standout riders this spring will be Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel.

The 40-year-old former winner of both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix brings a wealth of experience and knows better than anyone what it takes to win the biggest classics. He is also not afraid to share his opinions, something he regularly does on his podcast Speed on Wheels. On paper, he seems like the perfect analyst, and according to him, the world champion and the Dutchman are the names to beat.

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Terpstra sees a battle of titans emerging

Dumoulin longs for the days when you could write down fifteen contenders

"There are, of course, other riders who can challenge the two titans. The first name that comes to mind is Wout van Aert. Behind those three, I expect a lot from Arnaud De Lie and Jasper Philipsen. Beyond them, you still have a group of about ten riders, but Van der Poel and Pogacar are truly in a league of their own," says the Dutch rider.

The other analysts agree. "That duel is going to be interesting," says Annemiek van Vleuten, referring to Pogacar and Van der Poel. "I think we’ll see an even stronger Pogacar this year because he’s skipping the Giro and focusing even more on the spring classics."

Tom Dumoulin hopes it will play out differently. "I enjoy watching Pogacar attack, but look at last year’s World Championships—after 80 kilometers, the race was basically over and it just wasn't interesting to watch anymore. Where hasn’t he pulled off these kinds of solo wins? That doesn’t necessarily make cycling more exciting. It makes me long for the days when you could write down fifteen potential winners before a race."

Roxane Knetemann doesn’t see Pogacar completely dominating the spring. "It won’t be as easy as one-two-three for Pogacar. I can’t imagine Mathieu van der Poel not thinking, ‘This spring is mine.’ The fact that we’re even considering Pogacar winning everything will only make Van der Poel sharper."

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Roxane Knetemann and Dylan van Baarle

A (for now) safe cycling sport is a fairy tale

The NOS analysts also discussed safety in races. The cycling season has barely begun, yet safety is already a major topic of discussion. We’ve already seen a series of crashes and dangerous situations. The former riders don’t believe that precautionary measures will lead to a significantly safer race.

"That would be a fairy tale. Every cycling fan hopes for it, but it’s a utopia. It’s the end of February, and so many unsafe situations have already happened. I can’t imagine that these measures will actually prevent race incidents," says Knetemann.

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Dumoulin agrees with yellow-card system

Dumoulin supports the yellow card system

Van Vleuten has been listening to the riders. "In the spring classics, there are so many obstacles where riders fight for positioning in the race… I hope that some riders become more aware so that incidents can be prevented." Terpstra doesn’t seem to share that hope. "We’re going to see many more dangerous situations this spring. Cycling remains a dangerous sport."

The UCI is trying to improve safety, including with the introduction of the yellow card system. Danny van Poppel has already encountered it multiple times. "It’s a good measure," says Dumoulin. "But there will always be debate about whether riders are deviating from their line. It’s the same in football with referees—someone always has something to complain about."

And as for Dutch successes? They will have to come from one man: Mathieu van der Poel. "Hopefully, Dylan van Baarle makes a strong comeback after his injuries," says Terpstra. However, Van Vleuten predicts that victories could flow abundantly for the women’s side.

Read also

Pidcock noticed Van der Poel thinking during the Tour de France: "I could just see from his body language that he felt the same as I did"

"Tadej, listen to me: Don’t risk your life!" – How Mohoric made Pogacar hesitate just enough in Milan-Sanremo

Thomas criticizes Red Bull, Roglic and basically half the cycling world: "Is this how it's going to be from now on?"

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